Trump Alleges CA Primary Election Theft Amid Delayed Mail Ballot Count
President Donald Trump raised serious concerns Thursday over California’s slow-moving election count, accusing Democrats of attempting to manipulate the outcome of key primary races and saying the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the matter.
The president’s comments came as California continued counting ballots from Tuesday’s jungle primaries for governor and Los Angeles mayor, with state officials warning that mail-in ballot tabulation could take weeks, according to the Washington Times.
“The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS,” Trump posted on Truth Social early Thursday.
Shortly afterward, President Trump escalated his warning.
“There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY???” Trump wrote.
Later Thursday afternoon, Trump again pressed Republicans to take the issue seriously and act legislatively.
“Look what’s happening in California, the Dumocrats, right before our very eyes, are stealing the Vote. I hope the Republicans are watching so that they can finally pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!” he posted.
The president then highlighted key elements of the Save America Act, including photo ID requirements for all voters, proof of U.S. citizenship, restrictions on mail-in ballots, protections for women’s sports, and a ban on transgender surgeries for children.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, defended the state’s drawn-out vote counting process despite mounting criticism from conservatives who argue the delays damage public confidence in election integrity.
Newsom’s office posted an “explainer” video featuring CNN correspondent Elex Michaelson, who argued that California’s slow count is not a mistake but part of state law.
The video also took aim at Republican-led states such as Florida and Texas, where election results are often reported much more quickly. Michaelson suggested that leaders such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are “focused more on counting ballots quickly” than on giving voters “more time to decide” who they wanted to support.
That defense did little to calm critics online. Many accused California Democrats of building an election system that prioritizes extended ballot collection and delayed counting over transparency, speed, and public trust.
“Americans should expect, at a minimum, to have elections that are free and fair, and results that are delivered promptly. But California is taking its laid-back reputation too far, failing to deliver its election results in a timely manner and creating the perception that they are neither free nor fair,” Jarrett Stepman wrote Thursday for The Daily Signal.
“Slothful election results have plagued California for years since it made wholesale changes to its election system in 2016. It has mass mail-in ballots that can be counted post-election and allows for an extremely slow pace of counting,” he continued.
“Proponents of the system say this makes their elections more ‘secure’ and accessible,” Stepman added.
But Stepman argued that while California’s system may be accessible, many Americans remain unconvinced that it is secure, especially when major races remain unsettled days after voters went to the polls.
The Los Angeles mayoral runoff appeared to be headed toward a contest between incumbent Democrat Karen Bass and Republican Spencer Pratt, with left-wing candidate Nithya Raman sitting in third place. If that result holds, Raman would be shut out of the general election.
Raman appeared visibly emotional on election night and seemed to believe her campaign had fallen short.
Yet since then, additional batches of mail-in ballots have continued to arrive, and Raman has gained ground. Prediction markets have also reportedly shifted strongly in her favor, fueling even more skepticism among voters already frustrated by California’s prolonged counting process.
“Why would it be a surprise that many are calling foul?” Stepman asked, noting that it has been “days” since the primary election and Raman appears to be the only candidate gaining significant momentum.
For President Trump and many conservatives, the controversy underscores a larger national concern: election systems that allow extended counting, widespread mail-in ballots, and delayed results inevitably invite doubt, distrust, and political suspicion.
California officials may insist the process is normal. But to millions of Americans watching another high-stakes election drag on for days or even weeks, the question remains simple: why should the most powerful state in the country need so much time to count the vote?